Sutton 0, Lewes 3.

Lewes boss Steven King is ready to scrap out the final rounds of the all-Sussex Blue Square south title fight.

King has prided himself down the years on playing free-flowing passing football with a side of skilful players.

But he is prepared to ditch his philosophy in the battle to beat rivals Eastbourne Borough to the championship.

Rooks showed their uglier side to move to within a point of Borough in another day of twists and turns in the title race.

They overcame an icy swirling wind and a bumpy pitch to come away from a potential banana skin at rock-bottom Sutton United with a crucial win.

King said: "I don't care how we win now. The silky football we have played all season has gone, I couldn't care less how we play just as long as we win.

"This was not a great performance but we were very professional and got the win we needed.

"People said when we went four points clear that we had won it and then they said Eastbourne had won it last week but I keep telling people no one has won it yet.

"It will go down to the last day of the season without a shadow of a doubt. We have a hard game against Fisher (Monday) and Borough have a great chance of bouncing back at Welling so it is swings and roundabouts.

"It is going to go all the way and we will just worry about ourselves and let them worry about them."

Regardless of what happened at Priory Lane, this victory was particularly vital for Rooks.

It gave their bruised confidence a much needed tonic after suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time this season.

It also came at a time when they were arguably at their most vulnerable in terms of personnel.

Rooks were without six players through injury, while winger Andy Drury played again despite being laid low with illness over the last fortnight.

King eased his injury problems with the signing of two players before the game and they each played a part.

Former Arsenal trainee goalkeeper Michael Jordan joined on non-contract terms following his release by Chesterfield to replace the injured Steve Williams and looked solid throughout.

Big striker Shawn Beveney signed from Dulwich Hamlet and looked a handful in the 13 minutes he came on as a substitute. He is a Guyana international and will give Lewes a different option in attack.

Beveney replaced Paul Booth after the Lewes top scorer had ended a run of four games without a goal.

The prolific striker smashed home a free-kick from 20-yards to double the visitors' lead just past the half hour.

Defender Ian Simpemba had opened the scoring eight minutes earlier when he was left with a close-range tap-in after keeper Kevin Davies spilt a free- kick from Drury straight to his feet.

Rooks killed off the crestfallen home side six minutes before half-time when Booth turned provider.

He squared for Jamie Cade to turn the ball in from six yards after Davies had first denied the goalscorer with a point-blank parry.

Lewes were happy to sit back and see out the rest of the game after that and they did it comfortably with hopeless Sutton lacking the quality to pose a threat.

King said: "We were still missing four players who would start every week but the players out there did well.

"The keeper came in and had great hands. He was at Arsenal for ten years and played in League One and Two so he has good pedigree.

"Beveney has played 50 times for his country and is an absolute powerhouse but we are just having a look at him at the moment."

Sutton: Davies, Whisken, Sammutt, Hughes, El-Salahi, Alimi, Goodchild, Dunn, Cuff (Wright 65), Dundas, Johnson (Dos Santos 80). Subs not used: Opara, Scarborough.

Lewes: Jordan, Conroy, Barness, Kennett, Robinson, Simpemba, Drury (Cox 77), Holloway, Groves (Beveney 77), Booth (Ide 74), Cade.

Subs not used: Sigere, Legge.

Referee: D. Woolford.

Attendance: 500.

Man-of-the-match: Paul Booth.